


The Sun and the Stars and the Moon

by ProustPerfume



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arguing, Cheek Kisses, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Someone gets punched, Tsukishima Kei is Bad at Feelings, also the second half is unbeta’d i couldn’t be other I’m sorry, this makes it sound worst than it is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:00:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26282314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProustPerfume/pseuds/ProustPerfume
Summary: When talking about the sun and the moon, they’re always referred to like they’re opposites. These constant contradictions make for a confusing understanding of two of the most important bodies in our solar system, but what unites them is that without them, we simply wouldn’t be, and they are actually more similar than people seem to realize.It was the same for Hinata Shoyo and Tsukishima Kei.-Hinata is the sun and the stars and Tsukishima is the moon.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Tsukishima Kei
Comments: 9
Kudos: 123





	The Sun and the Stars and the Moon

When talking about the sun and the moon, they’re always referred to like they’re opposites; fire and ice, hot and cold, love and hate, sun and moon. This is a narrative that has burned into our souls from the moment we’re born, that the sun and moon are  _ so _ different, they couldn’t possibly get along.

But don’t they remember that the sun is a star too?

The sun sits all by itself in the center of the universe, not a single friend by its side, while the moon has multiple. The earth, the stars, the oceans, these are all common associations with the moon, yet the moon is also, somehow, thought of as lonely and distant, while the sun is bright and the bringer of life, literally the center of the universe that we all surround. These constant contradictions make for a confusing understanding of two of the most important bodies in our solar system, but what unites them is that without them, we simply wouldn’t be, and they are actually more similar than people seem to realize.

It was the same for Hinata Shoyo and Tsukishima Kei. 

Hinata Shoyo, the resident sun, was warm and burned people to the core. All around him, the world lit up and everything was drawn to him. Similarly to the sun, he was not a force easily moved and would  _ never _ waiver in the face of adversity. He was certain, almost to a fault, that he would get his way no matter what and everyone around him, including the world itself, would simply have to bend to his will. And yet, somehow, he was kind. Like how the sun could incinerate us, but it chose not to, instead letting us develop a protective layer from its heat and filling our art and music with signs of compassion and light and a beautiful, fruitful existence, promising it would never hurt us or betray our trust. Loyal was a good word for the sun, just like it was for Hinata. Although, despite the fact that he was bright and the driving force behind most things, burning out too much far too fast wasn’t a rarity either, but it seemed most people didn’t stick around long enough to know what it was like to watch the sun flicker. 

Tsukishima Kei, on the other hand, was the moon, as cold and uncertain as the waves it commanded. The moon was often misrepresented by humans, said to drive people mad and that its light brought evil things to the surface, unleashing terror on those whom it watched over once it reached its full power. But, people often forget that without the moon we would have no bodies of water and most of all no ocean, the most common symbol of freedom and life itself. Without the moon, the entire world would be thrown into chaos with nothing to keep it balanced, and Tsukishima was similar in that sense, constantly told, though never directly, that his presence was an unwelcome annoyance, that he brought the mood down or pushed things a little too far, and yet they didn’t notice the drawl in conversation when he wasn’t there or how things simply didn’t flow as well with him gone. Like the moon, Tsukishima Kei and his purpose were often misunderstood.

Because of these constant conflicting rumors about the sun and the moon, no one knew how to properly understand one or the other, least of all themselves. When they were told their entire life that the other was the complete opposite of them and it was said with such disdain that it was obviously a bad thing, how else were they supposed to feel but contentment and resistance to any similarities brought up to them? And this is why I say again, seemingly everyone, even the sun and moon itself, went on to forget that the sun is a star too. 

The stars and moon are possibly one of the most inseparable motifs in all of human existence, beside the sun and moon itself, yet somehow the sun and moon have been pushed so far apart, to complete opposite ends of the spectrum, that it really didn’t make sense. Similarly to darkness and lightness and how one is neither good nor bad, you can’t have too much of the sun or too much of the moon without the other there to maintain balance or it just wouldn’t work. And deep down we all know this, yet amends are never made.

So, what can be done in this situation? How could one possibly remedy thousands and thousands of years of widespread, incorrect information and make people realize how wrong they’ve been for so long? That the sun and moon are actually just different sides of the same coin? That both are just as important and  _ both _ are needed for life to function? The truth is no one person can do it, it’s not possible, but that’s not to say there’s no hope. The sun and moon will simply have to do what they’ve always done for years and years, even longer than humans have gotten their dynamic wrong. 

The sun and moon will have to work together and make an eclipse.

This, ironically, came in the form of a punishment as a result of their differences getting them in trouble. Argument was no stranger in Karasuno’s Second Gymnasium and in fact was encouraged in some ways because it meant they were frustrated and seeked to improve, something they would never be unnecessarily reprimanded for. Of course, there was always a time and a place for these things and if things got out of hand they would be dealt with, but sometimes it was easy to get lost in the passions of progress and the coach and captain were usually very understanding of that, letting the members work it out on their own and only stepping in if needed. 

During a practice match, however, this was absolutely unacceptable.

“You idiot!” Tsukishima wasn’t one to raise his voice, but his fuse had been so short recently that it was only mildly surprising when it finally popped.

“Tsukishima!” Tanaka and Nishinoya stepped in, restraining the first year and stopping him from charging after the brunt of his frustrations, Hinata.

Hinata was on the floor, uncharacteristically silent. He had been off his game that day, something clearly bothering him yet he refused to say what, and it had been affecting the entire team. Karasuno’s relationship and tensions with Datekou had calmed down exponentially once practice matches became a regular occurrence between the two teams, but the insatiable urge to win and play and stay on the court as long as possible was still as present as ever for Karasuno, and causing the team to falter with unnecessary outside issues was something always looked down upon by the members. Tsukishima wasn’t one for this kind of hive mind mentality most of the time, but Hinata was  _ really _ pissing him off today, completely ruining the match and embarrassing them.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?! Are you  _ trying  _ to throw the match or something?! You’re practically giving points away! What the hell’s gotten into you? Are you stupid? Are you gonna waste another three years here too, is that what this is?”

That was, even Tsukishima could admit,  _ way _ too far. He hadn’t even known Hinata during that time to try and throw it in his face like that, but he couldn’t help himself. He was so  _ mad.  _ How  _ dare _ Hinata, the driving force behind the team, the one who  _ never  _ gave up, who kept pushing and pushing and pushing and  _ pushing _ even if going on was almost impossible and progress was miles and miles up a mountain that couldn’t be climbed and no one thought they could ever reach its peak, how  _ dare _ he not give it his all in this match, regardless of if it was practice or not? And thank god it was practice, because what if it wasn’t and he was acting like this? How  _ dare _ that little shrimp give up when this entire time he’s forced everyone to come along with him without a second thought or their opinion?  _ How dare he? _

The next few moments happened far too quickly that most of those in the gym couldn’t even properly recall it. One second Hinata was on the ground and the next he was pushing past Tanaka and Nishinoya and an absolute dreadful  _ crack _ ripped through the room, because Hinata had punched Tsukishima in the face.

In a second, the entire room fell into chaos. 

There was screaming and shouting, footsteps from all around the gym squeaking against the floor as people moved to separate them, their names being yelled over and over and everyone in complete  _ disbelief  _ as to what had just happened; Hinata, the kindest soul of them all, the guy who most definitely would’ve put himself in danger’s way if it meant he could help someone get away safely, just punched Tsukishima  _ in the face. _

“That’s enough, you two!” Ukai yelled, but Takeda stopped him with a hand on his arm and Ukai felt his throat dry up at the other’s completely composed demeanor. Takeda was  _ pissed. _

“Kageyama-kun, Tanaka-kun, Daichi-kun, Nishinoya-kun, let them go.” Takeda’s voice was so calm and leveled it was genuinely terrifying, and the four released their holds on Hinata and Tsukishima before backing away slowly. 

Takeda approached the two and took their appearances in. Hinata was burning holes into the ground with his eyes, refusing to look anywhere else in shame and embarrassment as tears threatened to fall down his cheeks. Tsukishima stood beside him clutching his nose, glasses missing as they were thrown off his face from the impact.

Takeda’s voice was low as he spoke. “Something is going on here that has nothing to do with the team and you both know that it is unacceptable to let your personal issues affect the team if you make no effort to change them. If you’re going to let your anger get the best of you and even go as far as to _attack_ _your teammate_ ,” Both of the boys stiffened, feeling guilt for what they had done. “Then you leave me no choice in the matter.

“You’re both benched for the rest of the match and after Datekou leaves you will clean and lock up the gym by yourselves. Detentions will be given and I’ll let Daichi decide what to do with you in terms of practice and punishment. Do I make myself clear?”

The boys nodded jerkily.

“I said, do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir,” they both echoed. 

“Good. Now, Hinata, take Tsukishima to the nurse’s office and get him cleaned up. When you come back you’ll both be benched and I hope  _ both of you _ ,” He gave them a look that didn’t meet either of their eyes. “Will take that time to think over what happened today and how this could have gone differently. You’re dismissed.” The two bowed and left the gym as quickly as possible, Tsukishima snatching his glasses off the ground before scurrying away.

Once outside, far enough to be out of the gym’s earshot, the arguing continued. 

“I can’t believe you said that to me.”

“I can’t believe you punched me in the face.”

“Yeah, well, I wouldn’t have punched you in the face if you hadn’t of said that to me!”

“I know you’re a bit unpredictable and stupid but I really never thought you would’ve taken it  _ that _ far.”

“See! That right there! That is  _ exactly _ the kind of unnecessary shit you say that gets you punched in the face!”

“Stop talking right this moment before  _ I _ punch  _ you _ in the face, and trust me, it won’t end in a simple bloody nose.” 

They walked in silence for a moment before Hinata grumbled something under his breath.

“What was that?”

“I  _ said  _ it’s not like you could really do anything to me with those noodle arms, if you punched me it may as well have been the wind, Noodleshima.”

Tsukishima gave an irritated sigh and massaged his temples, partly because of the headache he was getting after being  _ punched in the face _ , but mostly because of the stupidity that was flowing through his ears. “ _ Please _ , stop talking right now. All the blood is going to leak out of my head, because  _ someone _ decided to be an idiot and punch me in the face, and I’m going to die from blood loss and I  _ really _ don’t want the last thing my brain remembers before it shuts down to be some stupid shit you said, so  _ please _ , just shut up for a moment.”

It was silent for the remainder of the time it took to get to the nurse’s office and even when Tsukishima was being patched up the only words spoken were occasional questions from the nurse and affirmations or protests from Tsukishima as she tried to assess the damage. 

“Well, you’ll be fine,” the nurse concluded, cleaning up her workspace. “Nothing’s broken and you don’t have a concussion, so no need to worry about that. I wouldn’t play any games for a few days at least, just to make sure you’re okay, but you should be fine.” She turned to the boys, one sitting on the temporary cot with a glare and the other sitting on a chair nearby, recipient of said glare.

“Did you  _ really _ get this because a volleyball hit you in the face, Tsukishima-san?”

“Yes,” the boys both answered very quickly, which did nothing to dispel the doubt in her mind, but she shrugged.  _ They’re kids, they’ll figure it out _ , was the thought she had.

“If you say so. Tell your coach what I told you and make sure not to push yourself for the rest of the day. And,” she turned around her chair to face them. “Be careful from now on, for goodness sake.” With that, the boys were pushed out of her office and faced with the worst thing they had to do all day; go back to the gym and deal with the consequences of their actions.

For a little while, the boys just stood there next to each other in front of the nurse’s office. Neither one of them wanted to be benched or yelled at or whatever was going to happen to them when they got back. Neither of them wanted to reflect on what they had done, either, because both were confidently under the impression that they were right and the other was wrong, so that left them stuck, standing there awkwardly and unsure what to do. 

“Gahh I can’t take this! This really is your fault, you know!” Hinata crossed his arms and pouted as he began to pace around in a circle, going over the possibilities in his head. They could skip, right? No, that would most definitely make things worse and he did  _ not _ want to deal with the wrath of Kageyama or, he shivered, Sugawara, Takeda,  _ and _ Daichi, which would happen anyway so it’d better to just suck it up and deal with it now, right? Plus, he’d have to be stuck ditching with Tsukishima, and the only thing he wanted to do more right now than not be benched was to be as  _ far _ away from that blonde jerk as possible. But… the idea of walking back there with him and getting yelled at  _ with him _ was  _ so  _ unappealing it might’ve been worth it to get yelled at twice as much as long as it wasn’t with him. What was he going to do?

“I really don’t understand why you keep blaming me when  _ you _ were the one off your game today. All I was trying to do was give you a friendly nudge, but,  _ no _ , you just  _ had _ to go and punch me in the face. You’re even more brainless than I thought you were, and that’s saying something.”

Hinata couldn’t stand it anymore. Who did Tsukishima think he was? He didn’t know his life or what he was thinking, and here he was inserting himself into his problems in such a terrible and invasive way and he had the audacity to even go as far as to act like he was  _ helping _ ? Hinata had enough.

“You know you’re such a  _ dick _ , Tsukishima, and I really don’t know why! You think you can just go around doing whatever you want and that nothing you do really affects anyone but you’re  _ wrong _ ! You’re an  _ asshole  _ and you hurt my feelings and you call that a  _ nudge? _ If that’s what a ‘nudge’ is, then goddamn, I do  _ not _ want to know what a stab in the back feels like!

“But you don’t care, do you? No, of course not. Too cool Tsukishima Kei couldn’t  _ possibly  _ be bothered with how us regular, average-intelligence people think and feel, huh? You know, you give Kageyama a lot of shit for thinking he’s better than us and that he’s some sort of ‘king’ or whatever, but holy shit, you are  _ so much worse _ ! If he’s a tyrannical king you’re an oppressive dictator and I-! I-!  _ I hate you _ !”

Hinata was crying at this point and Tsukishima was in complete shock. What could he even  _ say _ to that? How the hell was he supposed to respond? And he wasn’t sure what it was, the headache, the absolute shock he was in at Hinata’s explosion, or  _ something else _ he just couldn’t put his finger on, but for once, Tsukishima Kei, the one who always had  _ something  _ to say, was at a loss for words.

Unfortunately, Hinata took this as another cold shoulder from Tsukishima and scoffed. “Right, of course you don’t care.” He wiped his eyes and sniffled as he spoke but it didn’t take away from the obvious venom in his voice. “Silly me for  _ actually thinking  _ you gave a shit about other people. My mistake.”

In that moment, Hinata decided getting his punishment over with would be better than dealing with it twice and making it worse because he wasn’t sure how much of that he could take after this, and without a second glance he walked away, leaving Tsukishima absolutely completely shocked and by himself.

When Tsukishima finally made it back to the gym, much more slowly than it should have taken, partially because of his injury but mostly trying to overcome and understand  _ what the hell just happened _ , the atmosphere in the room was... Awkward. And tense. Hinata was sitting on the bench, watching the game and absolutely  _ fuming _ , his foot going off like a jackrabbit in frustration, and the entire energy of the gym was stilted and painful, like they were all walking on eggshells so as to not accidentally set the redhead off again.

Their heads whipped around to the sound of the gym door opening as Tsukishima walked in and he gulped at the intensity of every single person’s eyes on him except for Hinata’s. Some of them glared at Tsukishima, aware that somehow in their time gone he had obviously made things so much worse, but they quickly and awkwardly returned to the game, trying to take their mind off of whatever was happening between the two middle blockers.

Tsukishima approached the bench and stood there awkwardly for a moment. He couldn’t just  _ sit _ next Hinata, could he? But sitting all the way at the end felt weird, too, and he didn’t know what was worse. A part of Tsukishima paused at that thought.

_ Wait, when have  _ I  _ ever cared about how I came across towards Hinata? Why could I care if he feels bad or if I make things awkward? And wouldn’t being as far as possible from him obviously be the best solution? He’s the one who started all this, so it’s not my problem. _ Still, as he thought this, part of Tsukishima knew he was wrong, even if he refused to admit. Wanting to prove that part of himself was being ridiculous, he sat down on the bench, not too far away but not directly next to Hinata, which,  _ hopefully _ , he thought, made it look like he really didn’t care either way, but he wasn’t confident it did. 

Hinata made no real reaction to him sitting down, besides stiffening slightly, but he quickly relaxed and went back to his original tense state, strangely enough, of focusing back on the game, making no real acknowledgement of Tsukishima. And Tsukishima didn’t know why, but that  _ really pissed him off _ , but because he didn’t want to get in even more trouble, and possibly a black eye on top of it, he refrained from saying anything and focused on the game instead.

Karasuno lost every set, which really wasn’t surprising. Losing their biggest offense  _ and  _ defense in one foul swoop while also having a terrible tension thrusted upon the whole team was bound to do that, but they still couldn’t help but be annoyed and disappointed at the lost, especially since they had two people that were directly responsible for it sitting at two opposites ends of each other and refusing to acknowledge anyone’s existence but their own. 

Quite frankly, Tanaka was fed up, but Sugawara stopped him before he could knock any more sense into either of them.  _ Again _ .

“I really don’t think you should, Tanaka. Like Takeda-sensei said, there’s obviously something going on here that’s bigger than Hinata not doing well in the match or whatever Tsukishima said and confronting either of them about it might set them off, or worse, scare them off. It sucks, but I think we have to just leave it until they figure things out on their own.”

Tanaka and the rest of the team definitely agreed with the “it sucks” part, but what Sugawara was saying did make a lot of sense, so he did his best to say out of it and try not to make things worse. He couldn’t account for the other members nor how long he would be able to hold off without saying anything, though.

“Oi!” Kageyama growled, making the entire gym freeze in anticipation. Datekou had already left and it was just Hinata and Tsukishima cleaning up the gym, but the rest of the team had stayed behind as well, partly to see what would happen but mostly to make sure they didn’t start fighting each other again.

“Kageyama, you dumbass…” Tanaka groaned, receiving a whack on the arm from Sugawara like he hadn’t just attempted to do the same thing earlier.

Surprisingly, it was Hinata who challenged Kageyama. “ _ What? _ ” He snarled back. 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? Disrupting a match like that? Have you lost your mind?”

“You know, a lot of shit has happened today, Kageyama, and I  _ really _ don’t feel like hearing anything about it from  _ you _ , of all people.”

Kageyama swore he saw red, grabbing at the other’s shirt. “What the hell is  _ that _ supposed to mean, you idiot?” This was turning very bad  _ very  _ quickly and it was a miracle that somehow Yachi was the bravest of all of them and stepped in. 

“O-okay, K-Kageyama-kun, I think that’s e-enough! H-Hinata knows what he did a-and I’m sure we’re all tired, s-so let’s let them clean up and go h-home, okay?!” Yachi, a witness to how bad it could get between Hinata and Kageyama and someone who really did  _ not _ want to find out how back it would get adding Tsukishima to the mix, gently pushed Kageyama away from the two as a way to put distance between them just in case someone tried to get physical again, and with a very angry grumble Kageyama complied. 

“You better be fixed by tomorrow,” was all he said before him and the rest of the team cleared out. 

And Tsukishima and his big mouth just couldn’t let it go. 

“Wow, I’m surprised you were actually able to stand up to the Ki-“

“Tsukishima, do you  _ really  _ want me to punch you again? Because I am  _ so mad  _ right now, the maddest I’ve ever been in my  _ entire life _ , even when Natsu broke my DS, even when I lost to Kageyama, and when we lost to Seijho, and when Washijou forced me to be a ball boy, I have never been  _ this mad _ before and it’s  _ your fault  _ and I  _ really _ don’t have a problem giving you what you deserve for it, so unless you want a black eye too, I suggest you  _ stop _ .”

Being rendered speechless by Hinata Shoyo of all people twice in one day was the least pleasant experience of Tsukishima’s entire life, but he really didn’t know what to say to any of that, and for once, he thought it was probably better if he didn’t say anything at all. Leaving Hinata be, he simply went about his business and cleaned his half of the gym, avoiding the other as much as possible. 

Changing was just as uncomfortable as the rest of the day had been and the only amount of peace either of them had experienced was when they finally parted ways without a single word spoken to each other and went home, but neither of them could ignore the pit weigh down painfully in their stomach about how bad things were and how they most definitely weren’t going to be better by tomorrow. 

And as they had assumed, they were right.

Morning practice was absolutely horrible. Tsukishima showed up late and Hinata showed up  _ way _ too early, meaning both of them were exhausted not even halfway through practice, and the whole team struggled to connect as a result of two of the most important pieces to their plays refused to cooperate. Daichi still wasn’t sure what the problem was and even felt a little bad cutting Hinata and Tsukishima’s practice early so they could do drills and deep clean the club room, but when he remembered how much trouble they caused the day before he didn’t feel  _ as _ bad. Still, his kouhai having issues and not talking about it really bugged him and not knowing what to do to remedy the situation irritated him beyond belief. 

Classes were better since Hinata and Tsukishima didn’t have any together, but it was still regular school so it sucked. Takeda wasn’t pulling any punches when punishing them and as a result they had lunch detention and after school detention before practice and even the teacher running the dentition could tell there was something seriously wrong from the bad energies radiating from the two as they sat on complete opposite ends of the classroom. 

Afternoon practice was better, but not by much. At that point it seemed both Hinata and Tsukishima had mellowed out a bit and realized how bad they had made things, but both of them refused to be the first one to come forward and admit it, so they mostly spent the entire time ignoring each other while shooting the other glances across the gym when one of them wasn’t watching. Of course, the entire team actually  _ was _ watching and found this incredibly annoying, but heading Sugawara’s advice, they decided to wait and see how things would go.

This went on for almost three weeks. 

By then, everyone in Karasuno was pissed. You could tell when either one of them was nearby because this negative energy just  _ seethed _ off of them, like a dark cloud of anger and irritation hung over both of them and rained on anyone that got close. Even their teachers were starting to get concerned and they even had called their parents, but nothing could be done if they refused to grow up and talk about what happened.

And out of everyone, Sugawara seemed to be the most annoyed at the situation. He was the closest of the third years to Hinata and Tsukishima and was also very observant and aware of their behaviors as a vice captain, so watching these two idiots fumble around and make themselves angry for no reason, which in turned put everyone else on edge, when he  _ knew _ that both of them felt bad about the situation completely pissed him off and going against his own word, he was going to do something about it.

“Hinata, Tsukishima! Come here for a second.” Everyone has been doing their own individual practices but stopped at the sound of Sugawara’s voice. Both Hinata and Tsukishima stood there with shocked, wide eyes for a moment before glancing at the other, tearing their gaze away like they were burned and shuffling over to their senpai. 

“Did you need something, Suga-san?” Hinata asked.

“I think we should practice some blocking! Tsukishima’s really improved recently, so I think if you two were to work together it would help both of you improve as blockers and spikers!”

They boys shifted uncomfortably. “Sugawara-san, could we not?” Tsukishima asked. He fumbled with his fingers while Hinata shifted his weight between his feet.

“Yeah, Suga-san, I have other things I could be practicing. I can get to blocking later.”

Wow, this was a lot worse than Sugarawa thought. They weren’t making their usual jabs at each other and they were directly trying to get out of practice because the other was present, and they actually  _ agreed _ with each other because of it. Sugawara didn’t know what to do.

“A-alright, that’s fine, then, I suppose. Sorry for disrupting your practices…” The two nodded before they parted ways, not even looking at each other.

_ What are we going to do? _ Sugawara thought.

The following week was essentially that experience over and over, aborted tries to try and patch the rift so large between the two middle blockers but it seemed like nothing would work if they didn’t stop being so stubborn.

Eventually, Yamaguchi had enough.

“You know, you’re being really pathetic right now, Tsukki.”

There it was, that word again, only this time it felt significantly worse than before because this wasn’t just about some club and Tsukishima couldn’t even argue against the other because he knew he was right, so he didn’t.

“I really don’t understand, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi continued. They were walking home with Tsukishima ahead of him, and though he couldn’t see his expression, Yamaugchi was sure it was bitter and disappointed.

“I thought things were getting better between you and Hinata? You guys seemed to be getting along really well after the training camp, so what happened?”

Tsukishima didn’t respond because even he wasn’t really sure what the problem was.

“You know, you’re being really stupid about this.” That was a new one. Yamaguchi started to sound angry, which was also unfamiliar. “I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but I do know when you’re being stupid and difficult for no reason and I can’t stand to see you throw things away without giving them a chance. Whatever happened between you two is something you need to get over and Hinata is  _ constantly  _ reaching out to you so I think you should be the one to fixed whatever happened-“

“That’s the thing, Yamaguchi, is that I don’t  _ know _ what happened!” Tsukishima turned around to face Yamaguchi and the shorter’s breath caught in his throat at the sight of tears in his friend’s eyes. “One second he’s his usually happy self and we’re messing around and the next he’s sad and angry and telling me he  _ hates me _ and I don’t know what to do, Yamaguchi! What do I do?!”

Yamaguchi really didn’t have an answer for him. He was shocked. He hadn’t noticed a real difference in Hinata, not one to warrant real concern from him, and he didn’t know that Hinata had said he’d  _ hated _ Tsukishima, so that had completely taken him off guard.

“I-I’m sorry, Tsukki,” he responded weakly. “I really didn’t know about all of that.” He reached to put his hand on Tsukishima’s shoulder in comfort, and the other only moved away slightly before letting it lay there.

“I just don’t know what to do. He was so  _ sad _ and upset even before I said anything and I only made it worse. I don’t know what the problem is and I want to fix it but how can I if he won’t talk to me?”

“Don’t you think it’s possible he’s thinking the exact same thing? Hinata’s a really great guy, even if him punching you might say otherwise.” They both laughed quietly at that. “I’m sure he doesn’t like how things are either, he probably just doesn’t know how to confront you. You haven’t exactly made it easy on him so far.” They stared at each other for a moment.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” They continued walking home. “I really messed things up, didn’t I?”

“Nothing yet that can’t be fixed.” Yamaguchi smiled at Tsukishima.

“Hey, Tadashi?”

“Yes?” Yamaguchi squeaked. That was the first time Tsukishima ever called him his first name.

Tsukishima turned to the other and smiled. “Thank you, you really helped me feel better.”

Yamaguchi lightly punched his arm, smiling hard. “No problem, Tsukki.” As he took in his friend’s such change of attitude at the idea of fixing things with Hinata, a thought crossed Yamaguchi’s mind.

“Hey, Tsukki?”

“Yeah, Yamaguchi?” There was a slight innocent look in Tsukishima’s expression that Yamaguchi didn’t want to ruin by asking what was on his mind, so he decided against it.

“Never mind! Hey, wanna come to my house tonight?”

-

Tsukishima wasn’t the kind of person to apologize. The best you could get out of him was an awkward “my bad” or his usual routine of ignoring the problem until it went away, so he wasn’t sure how he was gonna pull a serious apology off, especially for someone like Hinata.

How do you apologize and ask for forgiveness from someone who told you they  _ hated _ you and you’re sure they meant it? He suddenly felt even more sympathy for his older brother and apologized for the little shit he was in the past.

The best he could come up with was winging it, honestly. A pre written apology would sound too fake and ingenuine and while it was definitely going to be more embarrassing speaking from strain of conscience, he thought being honest about how he felt might’ve been the better option for once. Any other way would only piss Hinata off more and he wanted to avoid that at any cost. 

Compared to the other issue in apologizing, the actual apology probably wouldn’t be that bad. The hard part would be to get a chance to talk to Hinata, which he didn’t have much hope for since the younger was avoiding him like the plague. There wasn’t a single second in all that time they were ever alone with just each other, Hinata would always some find excuse to leave or have a third person to act as a buffer for them and if this whole thing hadn’t been Tsukishima’s fault (yes, he was mature enough to admit it now), the reluctance Hinata showed him would’ve hurt his feelings, especially since it was the complete opposite to how he acted before.

He felt like he’d gotten a whole lot sappier since all this happened and it kind of annoyed him but he wasn’t sure what he could do about it. The fact that he  _ missed _ Hinata, or his version of it, made him want to gag but he couldn’t deny how he felt. Sure, he was annoying, but it wasn’t until after their fight that it was a nice annoying that he looked forward to and wanted to keep around and he wasn’t sure how to feel about that. 

He finally got a chance to talk to Hinata after practice, as it seems all aspects of his life somehow relate back to the sport. He solicited the help of the upperclassman and luckily they agreed to help him, wanting him and Hinata to get over this funk almost as bad as he did. It’d be a month of this very annoying game and they were beyond tired of it.

Tanaka, as smoothly as he did everything, was the one to signal it was time to go, with Sugawara quickly backing him up. Besides Tsukishima, the rest of the first years were confused, most of all Hinata who looked like he was on high alert, not liking where this was going, and with the added on help of the rest of the upperclassmen they quickly shuffled out of the room, except Hinata.

“Not you,” Daichi said, putting a hand in front of Hinata to stop him, and he panicked. He looked back into the club room to see that only Tsukishima was left and he looked like he wanted to run. 

“Daichi-san,” he pleaded, so desperate he even clutched Daichi’s jersey. “Please don’t make me.”

Daichi looked at him sadly and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “You know you have to talk to him at some point, Hinata.”

Hinata sighed and nodded, extracting his hand from Daichi. They bid each other farewell, Daichi looking over Hinata to give Tsukishima an encouraging look, and then he left, leaving Hinata and Tsukishima alone.

You could hear a pin drop, the tension was so palpable. Hinata refused to turn around and face Tsukishima, instead still standing in front of the door and gripping the bottom of his jersey like his life depended on it and Tsukishima could see his shoulders shaking from all the tension.

Tsukishima sighed. What a great start. “Hinata,” he called softly. He didn’t budge.

“Hinata, can you please look at me?” He took a step towards Hinata but didn’t get very fast as he wasn’t sure what actually cornering the other would do besides freak him out.

“Why should it?” Hinata gritted, still looking at the door with his fists clenched.

“Because I’m trying to apologize…” Just for a second Hinata faltered and Tsukishima thought this was as good of a time as any. With a sigh, he spoke.

“Hinata, I am  _ so _ sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things to you. I know I’m an asshole and I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I am sorry for hurting your feelings. I never wanted you to… hate me, and I don’t hate you either. I let something stupid get in the way and treated you like an asshole for it and I’m so sorry.”

Tsukishima has more he could’ve said, a lot more, but this was already embarrassing enough and it was gist of how he felt so he hoped it would be fine and waited for Hinata to respond. 

Hinata was quiet for a while and still was faced away from Tsukishima. The longer he went without saying anything the more nervous it made Tsukishima and he was practically sweating by the time Hinata turned around. 

Hinata looked… strange. It was similar to how he got when someone questioned his abilities but not quite as aggressive. He looked at Tsukishima and slightly tilted his head.

“Do you really mean that?”

Tsukishima gulped and nodded. Hinata took a step towards him and Tsukishima almost backed up on impulse, worried that Hinata might go ballistic on him, but stood his ground.

Hinata eventually made it over to Tsukishima and it would’ve probably been a funny sight from the outside, reminiscent of the time Hinata served a ball into Kageyama’s head only the shorter was the one intimidating someone much taller than him. Even if he had to look down, Tsukishima couldn’t deny that there were times where Hinata looked scary.

Hinata stared up at him and his eyebrows furrowed slightly. “What you said wasn’t okay.” Tsukishima nodded.

“And you really hurt my feelings.” Tsukishima nodded, though a bit sadly this time.

“But, I don’t hate you.” Tsukishima started to nod but then he processed what Hinata said.

“What?”

“I don’t hate you,” Hinata repeated, looking a little shameful. “I was just mad. That doesn’t make it okay, but I was.” He nibbled on his lip. “And I’m sorry I punched you.”

Tsukishima reached for his nose at the mention of it, wincing slightly at the touch and Hinata winced in sympathy. “How’s it feeling?” Hinata asked. “I’m really sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Tsukishima shrugged. “It was more surprising than anything. You have a hell of an arm, Hinata.”

Hinata laughed a little, his cheeks turning red, and Tsukishima smiled softly. “Are your glasses okay?”

“They didn’t break or anything. The frame is scratched but that was probably there from before.”

Hinata didn’t really believe him, but didn’t linger on it. “So, what was the stupid thing?”

“Huh?”

“You said you let something stupid make you be a jerk, so what was it?”

Damn, Tsukishima wished Hinata wasn’t as attentive as he was. He purposely brushed past that in his apology, but of course Hinata caught it.

“I… it’s really dumb,” he prefaced, feeling his face get warm.

Hinata smiled at him. “Now I really want to know.”

Tsukishima let out an aggregated and embarrassed sound and swiped his fingers over his eyes before he sighed. “I sort of… was upset you weren’t giving it your all.”

From the smirk Hinata gave him, Tsukishima regretted that he said anything at all. He knew Hinata wouldn’t be letting this go anytime soon.

“My, my, I never thought I’d see the day  _ Stingyshima _ would get upset over someone not going all out.” He crossed his arms and looked so smug and Tsukishima wanted this moment to be over more than anything.

“Please don’t make this a thing.”

“Oh, I’m going to make this a thing. Guess I need to change your nickname, huh? What about ‘Hardworkingshima’?”

“Stop.”

“You’re right, it’s too long. Don’t worry, I’ll think of something else.”

Trying to save face, Tsukishima directed the attention off of himself. “Well, then, what was your excuse? Why were you so moody that day, huh?”

Hinata’s playful expression immediately fell off of his face and he blanched before avoiding Tsukishima’s eyes, his cheeks turning a slight pink. “N-nothing,” he mumbled, sounding very unconvincing.

Tsukishima smirked at the reaction. Finally, he has the upper hand again, and how he’d missed it. He put his hands on his hips and shot Hinata a look. “Oh, yeah, how  _ very _ believable.”

Hinata sputtered. “W-well, I may have been a  _ little _ bit distracted…”

“Oh-ho? What’s this? Hinata Shoyo, the boy with a volleyball instead of a brain, had something  _ other _ than volleyball on his mind? Do tell, I’d love to know.”

“N-no!” Hinata muttered, his face increasingly turning red. “I can’t, it’s so embarrassing!”

“I promise I won’t tell anyone.” He was still teasing, but there was a serious edge to it that Hinata seemed to catch because he sighed, bracing himself.

“Fine. I was thinking of… Ugh, do I really have to say it?” He begged.

Tsukishima nodded. “Absolutely.”

Hinata grumbled something like “Jerkyshima” under his breath and stared at the floor. “I may have been thinking of… you, or something!”

Tsukishima flinched. He was thinking of  _ him _ ? But, why? “What were you thinking of…?” He asked carefully.

“Please don’t make me say it, Tsukishima!” Hinata pleaded. 

“You can’t tell someone you were thinking of them and then refuse to say why!” He argued, feeling his pulse quicken. Anyway he saw this going couldn’t be good for his heart.

“Fine! I was thinking about how I like you and you’ll never like me back!” Hinata squeaked and covered his mouth and Tsukishima felt his jaw drop. 

“You’re serious?” Tsukishima asked, unbelieving.

“Please don’t make fun of me.” Hinata sounded like he was going to cry.

Tsukishima needed a minute to process all of this. Hinata thought  _ he _ was cute? Did that mean he  _ liked hi- _

Tsukishima flicked him in the forehead, Hinata letting out a wail as he grabbed his face.

“What was that for, you jerk?!”

“You can’t just  _ spring  _ that kind of thing on someone, you moron!”

“You asked!”

“Yeah, but I didn’t think  _ that’s _ what your answer would be!”

They fell silent, refusing to meet eyes and stewing in their own embarrassment.

“Are you gonna say anything, you jerk?” Hinata demanded.

“What would you want me to say?” Tsukishima asked.

“I don’t know! Anything! Just say  _ something _ , it was weird enough when it happened, but telling you and you not responding is so much worse!”

“But I don’t know what to say.”

“Well, do you think I’m cu- Nevermind! Don’t answer that!”

Tsukishima watched Hinata’s freakout and ignored the immediate  _ yes _ he thought at his antics.

“I-I guess…”

“Wait, you think I’m cute?”

“You’re still an idiot, but-“

“But nothing!” Hinata gasped. “You think I’m  _ cute! _ Tsukishima thinks I’m cute!” He repeated it to himself a few times, sounding very giddy.

“You’re so embarrassing,” Tsukishima groaned, covering his face.

“Aw, don’t be shy, Tsukishima! We’re both cute people, there's nothing wrong with that.”

“Please stop,” Tsukishima begged.

“Does that mean you like me, too?”

“Stop talking right now.”

“I want to hear you say it, Tsukishima! Tell me you like me!”

“Fine, I like you! Are you happy?”

At his outburst, Hinata actually looked a little surprised before his cheeks flushed and he quietly muttered. “Yeah, I like you, too.”

“Can we leave now?” Tsukishima asked, blushing. He felt so humiliated but the smile Hinata gave him made it a little worth it. 

“Sure!” Hinata chirped. “Let me get my bag and we can go.”

-

As they walked side by side to the school entrance, they didn’t speak but it didn’t feel awkward. It was actually kind of nice. When they made it to the gate, they stopped and faced each other.

“Can I walk you home?” Hinata asked, voice full of hope.

“T-That should be fine.” Tsukishima cursed his stutter.

“And can I hold your hand?”

Deflection being his friend, Tsukishima made a comment. “How can you hold my hand if you’re holding your bike?”

Hinata thought about it for a second. “How about we hold hands and also hold the bike?”

Tsukishima merely grumbled and held his hand out.

-

When they made it to Tsukishima’s house, they both hesitated to leave. Hinata was rocking back and forth on his heels while Tsukishima avoided eye contact and they were still holding hands.

“I’m glad we made up,” Hinata finally said. “And that you like me.”

Tsukishima wasn’t sure how to respond, so he quickly leaned down and kissed Hinata’s cheek, leaving him spellbound. Deciding he’d humiliated himself enough tonight, he retreated into his home.

“Goodnight, Hinata,” he said before closing the door, a slight smile on his face at Hinata’s stupefied expression. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He only caught Hinata nodding with a dazed expression, a hand cupping his cheek, before he closed the door. He may have also seen him cheering and dancing around outside the window, but he kept that to himself. Today had been embarrassing enough as it was.

And, thus, the sun and the stars and the moon were together once more. 

**Author's Note:**

> Sun and moon allegory, introspection, Tsukki bad at feelings, and tsukkihina fluff this is where I live
> 
> Thank you for reading!!!  
> -  
> [ follow me on twitter!! ](%E2%80%9Dtwitter.com/fireflysunlight%E2%80%9D)


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